Improvement in manufacture of boots and shoes



J. NORTHR'UP. Manufacture-of Boots and Shoes.

Patented July 2,1878.

WITNESSES @Z; W: xh/fl NVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

N. PEIERS, PHOTO-UTNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, o. c,

UNITED STAT EQATENT JOEL nournunr, or OTISVILLE, NEW roan.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. $495,571, dated July 2, 1878; application filed May 11, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL Nou'rnner, of Otisville, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a device for fastening shoes and gaiters, to be used instead of shoe-lacings.

The invention consists in a tongue made of leather, elastic fabric, or othersuitable material, and adapted to be applied to a shoe or gaiter of any ordinary description, whereby provision is made for fastening the shoe in lieu of lacing it, for "covering and protecting the joint where the edges of the shoe-upper meet, and for allowing the shoe to yield and accommodate itself to the motion of the foot, so as to afl'ord comfort to the wearer.

In the ordinary laced shoe in common use the tongue is arranged on the inner side of the shoe, and only the lower end is perinanent-ly fastened.

When the shoe is laced the tongue is liable to work out of place, so as to expose the foot through the laced joint; and even when the tongue remains in place it does not afford complete protection against rain, snow, and dust, owing to its being on the inside of the shoe.

In the ordinary button-shoe in common use, the flap which carries the button-holes is a permanent part of the shoe-upper, and cannot be applied to any other shoe. In the ordinary congress-gaiter in common use, the elastic fabric is permanently attached to the shoeupp'er and forms part of the shoe.

In my invention the disadvantages existing in shoes of the above-mentioned description are obviated, and many advantages are obtained.

The invention maybe applied to a shoe provided with eyelets and originally intended to be fastened by lacin ,or to a shoe provided with buttons or external hooks for engagement with a lacin In the former case the tongue is provided with hooks on the under surface for engagement with the eyelets in the shoe-upper; and in the latter case it is provided with button-holes or eyelet-holes for engagement with the buttons or the external hooks.

In some cases the tongue may have one edge permanently attached to one side of the upper to form a flap, which may be fastened to the other side by hooks, eyelets, or buttonholes. Instead of eyelets the shoe may be provided with eyes for engagement with the hooks.

The accompanying drawing represents the invention applied to an ordinary shoe provided with eyelets and originally intended to be fastened by lacing, Figure 1 showing the shoe fastened, and Fig. 2 showing it unfastened.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The tongue A is here shown as provided with hooks B, which engage with the eyelets (I of the shoe 0 and hold it securely fastened. Said tongue A, being placed outside of the joint of the upper, prevents exposure of the foot at said joint, and protects it against rain, snow, or, dust. When this tongue is made of leather it protects the foot from wet and dust almost, it not entirely, as effectually as the foot portion of a boot; and when made of cloth, felt, elastic fabric, or other similar material, it affords ample protection against dust, while at the same time it yields to the motions of the foot, and also provides for the proper escape of moisture.

In order to remove the shoe from the foot it is only necessary to unfasten one edge of the tongue, leaving the other edge attached-to the shoe, as shown in Fig. 2.

When the invention is applied to a shoe already provided with an interior permanent tongue, 0, as shown in Fig. 2, said interior tongue may be either retained or removed, as may be preferred by the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with the quarters of a boot or shoe provided with eyelet-holes, the elastic tongue A having two rows of hooks on its under side, and adapted to cover the front opening, and for the purpose specified.

JOEL NORTIIRUP.

Witnesses HARVEY It. CAnwntL, OLIVER Oouwin. 

